toryjames wrote: If you don't already have a drum machine and want something versatile (and don't mind going with a virtual analog device) the Korg ER1 is the best thing going in my opinion. Possibly the best user interface ever designed for a drum machine. They go for around $150 used on eBay.

Actually i don't really care whether it's va or analog, as long as it's intuitive (don't want to lose the "moment of ideas"), sounds good-hard-ass-kicking, and i could edit and shape the sounds .. and to be honest, i never ever have a drop of interest on those grooveboxes or korg electribe lines, but lately i've been hearing lots of good things about them, which i'm still skeptical cos i don't really do dancey-techno, i'm more into synth-pop/rock, but those ppl who said that we able to tweak the drum reminds me on roland TR lines ..

And when i'm ready to be open-minded about electribe, i'm stumbled upon those many models available .. un-tubed & tubed, mkII? .. so actually which electribe is "the best choice" for most terms? (jeez, i even don't believe asking these question on this machine) .. well for something under $500 budget, i think i shouldn't consider and expect too much of everything..[/b]

two days ago, I bought roland mc 303. it was a tough decision because examples that I saw on you tube were all about techno and trans, so I thought that mc 303 is a limited device.
But..
today I can tall that this little thing is unbelievable cool you can do crazy things whit it !

Its a rompler, mining it is full of (excellent!) sampled sounds of well-known vintage machines, like tr 808, tr909, cr78, jp8, prophet5, ob2 itd.. ( i like that fact a lot, because i actually have now big palette of different colors to go along whit my real instruments)

!Bee aware you cant sample your own sounds!

My initial idea was to use it just for bizarre loops and as a scratchpad, but i tell you!! it is possible to do some serious music on this little gadget !!

nikola wrote:two days ago, I bought roland mc 303. it was a tough decision because examples that I saw on you tube were all about techno and trans, so I thought that mc 303 is a limited device. But.. today I can tall that this little thing is unbelievable cool you can do crazy things whit it !

Its a rompler, mining it is full of (excellent!) sampled sounds of well-known vintage machines, like tr 808, tr909, cr78, jp8, prophet5, ob2 itd.. ( i like that fact a lot, because i actually have now big palette of different colors to go along whit my real instruments)

!Bee aware you cant sample your own sounds!

My initial idea was to use it just for bizarre loops and as a scratchpad, but i tell you!! it is possible to do some serious music on this little gadget !!

I love it

A friend of mine bought the MC-303 as his first hardware and over the years he has made a lot of music with it. His last track on it had to be recorded in two sessions because he programmed it immensly complex that it didn't had any memory left to program the whole track.

Anyway, it's a nice soundbox to work out ideas with on the fly.

"I like to play with electronic noise makers. I hope someone wants to listen, and if not, I'll still be up at 3 am making sequences in the dark, drinking coffee, and burning expensive incense." Rod Modell

Six, I was like you about the Electribes. I thought they were too dance/club orientated, but I was wrong. They are great units that can be used for many genres of music. They are very easy to program and are meant for live performance and live tweaking. I own the ESX1 sampler and love it. I wish I also had the EMX1 synth, but maybe in the future I will. I don't use mine for sequencing my synths. I don't sequence my synths with anything. However, I do have my ESX1's clock synced with my other synths (not my Moogs,) and it performs great. It's great to have the ESX1 playing sync'd to other instruments' arps. The ESX1's midi menu/setup is very easy to understand and navigate.

I can get some really sick sounds with the ESX1: even sicker when I add my own samples. It's too bad it uses the Smartmedia card and not USB. That would be my major criticism. However, once you get a card and reader, it is easy to use.

For sequencing, I have read that the EMX1 is better for that chore. However, if you are basically looking for a cheap hardware sequencer and not so much an instrument, then the Yamaha RM1X is a good bet. I think you can pick them up used for about $250-300. It's easy to sequence, but hard to build beats (compared to an XOX like the Korgs.)

MarkM wrote:Six, I was like you about the Electribes. I thought they were too dance/club orientated, but I was wrong. They are great units that can be used for many genres of music. They are very easy to program and are meant for live performance and live tweaking. I own the ESX1 sampler and love it. I wish I also had the EMX1 synth, but maybe in the future I will. I don't use mine for sequencing my synths. I don't sequence my synths with anything. However, I do have my ESX1's clock synced with my other synths (not my Moogs,) and it performs great. It's great to have the ESX1 playing sync'd to other instruments' arps. The ESX1's midi menu/setup is very easy to understand and navigate.

I can get some really sick sounds with the ESX1: even sicker when I add my own samples. It's too bad it uses the Smartmedia card and not USB. That would be my major criticism. However, once you get a card and reader, it is easy to use.

For sequencing, I have read that the EMX1 is better for that chore. However, if you are basically looking for a cheap hardware sequencer and not so much an instrument, then the Yamaha RM1X is a good bet. I think you can pick them up used for about $250-300. It's easy to sequence, but hard to build beats (compared to an XOX like the Korgs.)

Hope this helps.

So what exactly the difference between ESX-1 and EMX-1 besides sampler and synth? what about drum sounds differences? Cos if the synths is the advantage of the EMX-1, i'll try the ESX-1 (so i could load the sound of external synths into it's sequencer?) as my sampler instead.

And yes i tried my buddy's MC-505, and it wasn't that easy to handle (maybe i'm just too lazy ) .. cos there's too many shift-this .. and shift-that, digging for programming .. since i'm not that 'bright', so that moment could be gone But does roland MC lines have good samples on them? like kicks, snares, hihats and things like that? but either way, i don't think we can tweak and edit it, i suppose ..

Six, for sequencing other synths, the EMX1 is the one to go for. The ESX1 only has one track that has individual pitch control for each step. I am not all that familiar with the EMX1, so you might want to research that one a bit more. It has more tracks that have individual pitch control per step. I do know that it's synth engine is quite good for the money. For just crazy sounding patterns the ESX1 is the ticket. You can buy about three for what one Monomachine or Machinedrum cost, although I am assuming they have more features. However, the Electribes are not really meant to be sequencers. What they do best is creating sounds.